The FAULT Magazine Editors have been busy catching the shows this season at London Fashion Week. We present here, our exclusive daily edit of the must-see London shows. Be sure to stay tuned to FAULT Online for exclusive backstage photography, daily updates and our daily show edit. To see the new season collections, with us, as they happen check out our official Instagram

House of Holland

Henry Holland’s usual loud-and-proud designs were shown by stiffly stood models moved around the show by travellator, proving there’s always an element of fun to fashion at House of Holland.

Looking like they had just been churned out of a factory, boxy blouses and peasant-skirt dresses came in thick horizontal black and yellow ‘warning’ stripes with exposed stitching. Shaggy fur coats reaching down to the knee also sported chevron stripes in red, white and blue. Tartan, gingham and check also made a vibrant entrance on pyjama trousers, peplum hem tops and wrap-over dresses and coats with jagged hemlines.

The silhouette was generally loose and unfinished with a few pieces that pulled in tight at the waist with black PVC waistbands for contrast effect. Rather ‘proper’ neckerchiefs were a surprising accessory choice but the flat, black patent ankle boots were a great way to make the look modern and relaxed.

House of Holland will certainly brighten up your AW15 with some high voltage colour and print.

While FaustineSteinmetz are a relatively new brand, they’ve created a lot of buzz from specialising as a label from the very start.
In creating their collections using only one fabric – denim, Faustine have quickly become trendsetters within the industry by offering up something completely fresh and unique from other current British designers. The label has managed to rise up the ranks quickly thanks to their innovative technique, approach, designs and ethos and are now becoming a go-to cult label for UK fashion editors, myself included.

Treating the everyday denim garment with their special handmade techniques, this season took a step further towards defining the ‘FaustineSteinmetz’ look. Featuring hand painting onto fabric, frayed edges, delicate details and oversized shapes, the aesthetic is strong yet understated. The models posed casually, styled with sleek pared-back hair and clean skin to reinforce the overall beautiful simplicity of the brand.

Faustine focuses on sustainability and responsible sourcing, creating one of a kind pieces to be loved and worn forever versus current fast, seasonal and adrenalin-induced fashion. Perhaps their popularity reflects the change that fashion is desperately seeking, is it time for more calm, socially responsible fashion labels? Only time will tell but my feeling is a resounding yes.

J.W Anderson’s show marked a real departure for the designer, from a restrained, 70s-infused, quasi-androgynous aesthetic, to a collection that spoke of 80s luxe, with all its maximalist merging of colour, print and textile. Anderson’s silhouettes, so often used to elongate limbs and manipulate the body in a way that speakers more of abstract shape, instead clung to hips and waists, with a feminine silhouette, cinched in jewel-coloured velvet and paired with knee-high boots. This is not to say that Anderson has lost his quirky cool by any means; if anything, this was one of his strongest collections yet, with a complex smorgasbord of prints and textiles layered in a way that spoke to his curatorial sensibilities. His attention to detail and colour theory is well-established, and it was interesting to watch it play out on a more complex, grander scale than usual.

Cocoon shaped sleeves and a pinched waist were on the menu for Emilia Wickstead’s Autumn/Winter 15 collection. A colour palette, which began with nude and pastel blue tones, decorated the midi length dresses and boucle trousers that created nostalgia of a more retro era. Wickstead moved away from the a-line shapes of last season and instead created pretty drapes and full peplums that exuded the natural style that she is known for.

Mid-way through, the show took an adventurous turn with burnt orange check covering dresses in all lengths and a pair of culottes that we think will be on everyone’s Autumn/Winter 15 wish-list. The stand out piece of the collection was, by far, the interjection of black PVC, with a full length dress that added confidence and attitude making the collection stand out amongst the rest this season.

Emilia Wickstead introduced elegance and glamour to the London Shows for Autumn/Winter 15 with a collection was one of our favourites from the designer. With styles that took a new and daring direction, we already cannot wait for the Spring/Summer collection.

Joe Bates, Sid Bryan and Cozette McCreery offered one crazy show at London Fashion Week! The collective created a Betsey Johnson-like world where models wore tousled black wigs, mesh stockings and shiny socks in strappy heels. Very long scarves accessorized most of the looks while collar pins bejeweled necklines. Blazers, sweaters, dresses and turtlenecks were all part of the knitwear dominated collection in shades of pink, black and orange. A fabric similar to latex hugged the body in a very form fitting way and gave a certain edge to the runway show, along with accents of fur and pink handwriting.

Julien Macdonald redefined the meaning of goth with this gloomy collection. Hair slicked back, dark berry lips, choker necklaces, long gloves and knee-high socks created an austere look for fall. Black was obviously predominant, but other colors – such as purple, green, blue and silver – underlined details throughout the collection. Thin belts accentuated the waist of many dresses whereas zippers at the center of a piece would reveal another layer underneath. Other gothic elements included mesh, lace and embroidery mimicking Victorian crinolines.

HollyFulton‘s show was a send-up of retro ideals- Vogue spreads from the late 60s and 70s with fringed models in swirling prints and synthetic materials, mixed with a Valley of the Dolls vibe; lace and pastel shades, prim collars and scalloped hemlines just above the knee. When it was strong (which was for the majority of the show), the effect was blissfully eccentric- a Wes Anderson-directed Stepford Wives, intelligent, beautiful and intricately complex. When the embellishments, appliqué and other details were removed, the shapes and colours often became overly bland, losing their modernity and charm. But overall, this was a beautifully rendered collection with a strong undercurrent in femininity, unexpected tailoring, and stunningly subtle Surrealist prints.

The AW15 collection of Brazilian-born Lucas Nascimento seemed to be inspired by a warmer destination far from his London home. Bold prints of exotic flowers and dresses with thin straps exuded warmth and sunshine. Knitwear being his specialty, Nascimento created once again finely crafted knits taking the shape of sweaters, dresses and even jumpsuits. V-necks with contrasting colors became the norm as the show went on, varying from purple to black, olive green, orange and blue. Nascimento also added texture to his collection by using a funky material enhanced with rows of lurex threads or placing a layer of mesh upon a colorful fabric.

The theme for Markus Lupfer’s AW15 collection is ‘a walk in a secret garden’ which took us a while to clock on to because we were momentarily distracted by the adorable white rabbits hanging in glass bowls as we entered the presentation.

All became clear as models, posing between spindly branches, wild flowers and wooden swings, showed off sporty dresses with muted, Hawaiian-style flower prints and laser-cut floral designs in khaki that looked like an army camouflage net. Accessorised with cosy beanie hats, glittery trainers and daisy-shapes sunglasses from the Markus Lupfer for Linda Farrow line.

Bomber jackets, parker coats and roll neck jumpers made for practical outerwear for keeping warm while mirrored embellishments on sweaters added a sprinkling of magic to further the ideas of enchanted forests and fairytale woodlands. A holographic jacquard fabric also features gnomes, fawns and squirrels entwined in the design.

We can certainly get on board with a collection that’s comfortable and looks cool… and one where we get to stroke rabbits at the show.

Gareth Pugh presented a theatrical AW15 collection seemingly inspired by the Elizabethan era. Modern metallic ruffs, vests structured like armors and ample skirts hitting the ground channeled this austere look. If the army of models wore chains and leather knee-high boots, the red cross painted on their face became the quintessential element to this fashion Inquisition.

Following on from PART 1 of our Paris Fashion Week roundup, here’s our review from some of our favourite fashion designers; Céline, Balmain, ACNE, Margiela, Rick Owens and more.

Céline

Balmain

ACNE Studios

Saint Laurent

At Céline and Balmain, animal prints were presented with a similar luxurious subtlety as at Givenchy. Céline’s Phoebe Philo worked the prints into a collection that was beautifully restrained, with a palette of black, grey, cream and camel, woven into which were a muted leopard print, hints of enlarged gingham and textiles like feathered wool and Astrakhan. Balmain’s collection was a much more clear reference to safari, with riffs on safari suits and camo colours, amidst abstracted zebra and leopard print. Zebra print also made an appearance at Acne Studios, in a collection that seemed to also draw on the safari influence, with a nod to Yves Saint Laurent’s famous collection in the Seventies. This retro inspiration was clear in the swirling print patterns, the candied colour palette and wide-legged trousers. This Seventies influence was as potent as ever in the actual Saint Laurent collection, with Hedi Slimane’s ongoing tribute to glam rock androgyny helped along by Alex Turner and Miles Kane sipping champagne in the front row. From the fur and sparkles, to the miniskirts and floppy hats, amidst prints of paisley and plaid, this was a veritable feast of retro style and it is testament to Slimane’s electric modernity and eye for youth that the references didn’t feel tired.

Vivienne Westwood

Maison Martin Margiela

Vivienne Westwood’s collection was a true celebration of her label, possessing much more impact than her relatively tame Red Label show in London the other week. This show exploded in colour and print, combining label signatures of silhouette and shape with a youthful, almost riotous energy. At Maison Martin Margiela, there was a similar sense of heritage and label hallmarks, but here these were in the treatment of tweed, merged with the silhouettes and tailoring upon which Margiela made its name. The result was an incredibly beautiful and subtle collection that was at once feminine and finely detailed, yet effortless and utterly wearable.

Rick Owens

Gareth Pugh

At the opposite end of the spectrum to the candy colours, decorative detailing and concept prints of labels like Chanel and Kenzo, some collections offered the avant-garde minimalism that has been central to Paris since the arrival of the Japanese designers to the city in the 1980s. Rick Owens, who has made this kind of punky minimalism a hallmark all of his own, delivered looks in total blocks of either black, oxblood or grey. The shapes were oversized and, again, biomorphic, with curvilinear sleeves and shell-like drapery. Pleats and variations of textile allowed for a considered experimentation, fully expressing Owens’ unique and intelligent eye. Gareth Pugh’s collection was in a vein that was at once similar, and entirely different. Whilst minimalist in terms of being rendered entirely in white and silver, this collection was extravagant in silhouette and cut, with Pugh’s tailoring of a breathtaking standard. Consistently eye-catching, he continues to push his label forward with intricate detailing. Rei Kawakubo’s collection for Comme des Garçons was again a pushing of the boundaries of fashion, in line with her desire to make ‘objects of the body’ as declared last season. The result was in biomorphic, tubular knits that hung like literal sculptures , protruding from the body.

Comme des Garçons

In terms of the influence of the Paris shows, it will surely be the clever treatment of colour and print that filters into the mainstream; the broken animal prints, the neon inserts, the ongoing block-colouring filtered through pleats and trouser-suits. With your local supermarket and McDonald’s now firmly absorbed into the fashion domain, perhaps the industry’s influence will be more pervasive than ever.